Play
by Chibi-Onee-chan
Summary: Hiruma Youichi is, by no means, a good man. He is cunning and silent, easily controlling others in the shadows. Despite all this, she would not have him any other way. One-shot. Hiruma/OC.


**I'm sorry, I'm sorry, don't kill me. /shot**

**Okay, I know I said I'd be working on my on-going stories, but uh...one-shots are so much fun to write. I always write them over a long period of time. Someone help me I can't stop /sobs. Anyways...enjoy.**

**Setting:** Over the course of the manga; slight AU here and there.  
**Pairing:** Hiruma/OC  
**Warnings:** Some mentions of sex and what not. Little bits of fluff. And a no-good devil.  
**Notes:** The image cover was made by me, and if anyone is interested in seeing the full picture, just head to my deviantART profile; there's a link in my FF profile.  
**Disclaimer:** Eyeshield 21 sadly is not mine.

* * *

"_Number one, Youichi Hiruma, steps out onto the field as quarterback! He's been in American Football since his high school days and is known to use various Trick Plays. The San Antonio Armadillos certainly have a valuable player!_"

Youichi looks around casually, looking up into the stands. Above his team's side, right at the railing is where he finds the person he is looking for. He meets eyes with her dark blue ones and she smiles widely. She waves and mouths a '_good luck_'. He gives a single hand back, with his own reply: '_devils don't need luck_.' She grins and he can practically hear her laughter from there. He smirks and steps onto the field, a weight of dog tags settling comfortably under his uniform.

* * *

_Rewind..._

Hiruma Youichi is, by no means, a good student. He is cunning and silent, easily controlling others in the shadows. In elementary school, he scared the other kids to a point where he had to be separated from them for periods of time. Now, he has yet to dye his hair, despite the urges, and starts middle school in his new uniform without a care in the world. He absently blows a bubble with his fresh piece of gum. He sits through the opening ceremony without falling asleep and heads to his homeroom.

Class seats are assigned by last name and its just his luck to end up in the back row. To his front is a male kid with no real distinguishing qualities, and it's the same for his left. To his right, however, is a girl with half-lidded blue eyes and black hair tied into a low ponytail. She fiddles with the one of two pieces that frame her face before sinking into her chair so that her feet rest on the bars underneath the seat in front of her.

Introductions begin and eventually they come to the girl. Like he did moments ago, she does not bother standing. With arms crossed, she speaks clearly,

"Kouki Aoi."

Whispers break out and Hiruma can not help the raising of an eyebrow. He sharpens his attentiveness and hears one of the girls whispering.

"She's the one who stayed back a year; she's supposed to be a second year, but she put a kid in the hospital. I can't believe she wasn't expelled..."

Hiruma's mouth twitches upwards as he finds this new information interesting. He spaces out for the rest of the school day and heads home alone. He arrives home later than expected due to a traffic accident on his way back from the base. As he walks up to his home, he finds Aoi unlocking the gate across from his home. Next to her is a girl her height with the same looks except that her hair is a chin-length straight bob instead.

"What's that?" The Aoi look-alike murmurs, though he can still hear it. Aoi looks straight at him before pushing the gate open.

"Hiruma Youichi. He's in my class. Black hair, pointed ears, bubble gum chewer. Sharp eyes. Looks like a Devil." Aoi grabs the other girl's hand and leads her into the yard, slams the gate shut, and heads into the home. Hiruma only raises an eyebrow in reply.

The blackmailer realizes the next week that Aoi has a twin that is blind. Amongst the whispers is this fact and he eventually comes to learn that Aoi beat that kid up for mocking her sister.

...

He frowns when he learns the two are assigned to work together for a project the next day. They are supposed to create a poster about something they have in common and how that thing affects the world in some way. Hiruma snorts and Aoi is not in the mood for sharing. They sit through the class period where not a single thing is accomplished and school ends shortly after. He goes and gets his hair dyed and once it's done in an hour, he heads to the base.

He is surprised to see her there, popping a gum bubble in slight irritation. Her only explanation is that her father works there.

"Nice hair," she comments, and it doesn't sound sarcastic in the _least_. He rolls his eyes and joins the table she is sitting at as she shuffles a pack of playing cards.

"Poker?" He asks, putting his feet on the table. She gives a nod and the two begin to play.

...

Youichi is not surprised when he wins every single game, but she doesn't seem to mind. Instead, Aoi smirks and looks satisfied. He in return shares a brief smirk with her before resuming his poker face. It's at that moment the two decide to do the project on gambling. When one of the men tells them it's not appropriate, they begrudgingly change to American football.

The two sadly realize that they have to present the damn project and its game after game of poker to decide who will speak. Eventually, Hiruma is surprised to find that she won one more game than he did and he is stuck presenting. He fails miserably at it and the two get a C for the project.

A month passes, and Youichi finally meets Aoi's father. He isn't a highly ranked military man and doesn't look all that strong, but he heads the red team that day and Hiruma finds his team dominating the white team. Aoi just grins, glad she also bet on the red team. Hiruma laughs when she trips on a rock, though he finds himself on the ground seconds later when she kicks his legs out from under him. The two stare at each other and eventually Aoi snorts. It turns into a chuckle and eventually she is laughing for the first time since her mother passed away and Hiruma allows himself a few chuckles and a smirk.

...

Their second year begins and Aoi agrees to help pierce his ears. She mentioned once how she pierced her own ears a while back and he asked her to do it for him. The pain lasts for only a moment and his face does not falter once. She gives him cleaning instructions and then the two head to the base to watch today's game. She stares at the clear sky as they walk and he absently blows a bubble.

"I heard that kid Kurita is following you around." She says suddenly, an amused tone evident.

"He wants me to play football with him." He answers after a moment of silence and she snorts.

"Maybe you should," She laughs and he frowns, kicking out at her in retaliation. She side steps and turns when they reach the hole in the fence. "See you inside." She waves and heads off for the legal entrance. Despite her father working on the base, Aoi and her twin live off it where the blind sibling couldn't be overwhelmed. He meets her inside where the two watch the game and ultimately, Hiruma wins once again. Aoi sighs in defeat.

"Would you ever play?" Aoi asks him. Hiruma blinks before turning back to the players.

"No way in hell, fucking neighbor." She shakes her head at the nickname and shrugs.

"I'd like to try. Pops let me toss around the football once and I have a pretty good long pass." Aoi scratches the back of her head. "Ready to head back?" Hiruma nods and the two leave the base at their separate exit points. The two stop at an intersection and Hiruma points to a business hotel he's been blackmailing for a few days. The two part ways for the day.

It's the next day and Hiruma is thoroughly irritated by the fat kid's persistence. Thankfully, he's managed to shake him off for the day. Aoi meets him in the base and the two idly chat as they play poker for various snacks. He wants to gamble with money but she roped him into buying some food with it so they could gamble for snacks instead. He reluctantly agrees and she grins. He won all but one game and she shrugs it off. She states that she'll just have to practice some more. He rolls his eyes and the two watch the football practice. At this point she is strangely silent; not that she usually is, but she'll at least make a comment every now and again and he would respond in kind. The sun sets and the two stop at the intersection again.

"Fucking neighbor," Hiruma frowns when she does the same as she turns to leave. She freezes and faces him. It's silent. Only after a few minutes does she grin.

"See ya, Youichi," She walks up to him, pecks him on the lips, and disappears down the sidewalk before he can recover. He frowns deeper, ignoring the heat in his face. He swears he'll get an explanation from her tomorrow when he sees her.

Only she never shows herself at school again and he learns the hard way that she left the country that night.

* * *

_Fast Forward..._

His first year at Deimon with Kurita and Musashi starts with him blackmailing the principal for space for the American Football Team: Deimon Devilbats. Kurita screams in terror when he starts bringing weapons to school and Musashi just sighs. The three have a great start despite the misfortunes before entering Deimon.

It's halfway through his first year that a familiar face makes itself appear once again.

"Kouki Aoi. Nice to meet you." She greets unenthusiastically and is placed to the right of him, seeing as he had a back corner seat. He stares at her until she feels him watching and eventually makes eye contact. She frowns for just a moment, thinking, and smiles a moment later. She greets him with a '_yo_' and he frowns and rolls his eyes. It's a silent commitment that the two will talk it out later.

By later, Hiruma meant the football practice. He drags her with him and she's stuck playing catch with him as Musashi practices kicking and Kurita is practicing his lineman skills. Both are listening in secretly. She smirks and he frowns as emotions disregarded come to the surface. It's the second time she's done that to him.

"Where were you?" Youichi bluntly asks. She laughs shortly and throws the ball back with precision.

"Pops was transferred to Europe for a time. I didn't want to stay any longer so I came back here. I'm living with my Aunt while Sis is with Pops and her caretaker." She offers as an explanation and he senses no lies hidden in her eyes.

"Why?"

"Why?" She echoes, confused when the ball is thrown harshly. She catches with a grunt. "I didn't have a choice then."

"I mean the other thing," He furrows his brow when she throws equally as hard. He immediately whips it back and she catches it with a loud thud. "You kissed me."

"Oh, right." She remembers, frowning. "That's cause I liked you, stupid elf." He blinks and catches the ball thrown. He almost winced when he realized how hard it was launched. He did the same with twice as much power.

"Fucking neighbor!" He swears and she catches the object with a muffled yelp.

"Ow!" She complains, murmurs a '_devil_' and quickly throws it back. He doesn't expect to be so quick and has to shield his face. The ball bounces off his now stinging arms and lands harmlessly on the ground. "I know it was stupid but I didn't wanna leave without saying anything."

"Hmph." He frowns, "and now?"

"Now..." Aoi pauses. She takes a deep breathe to slow her rapid heart beat and says, "well you'll just have to figure it out yourself."

Practice ends with him throwing the ball at her head for such a vague answer and then chases her while shooting at her feet. It's the start of her manager job that day. They lost each game and lost Musashi's support with his father's health issues.

...

Youichi's second year has him recruiting one Kobayakawa Sena after seeing the kid's speed. Aoi snorts when he drags the kid into the huge mess that was the Deimon DevilBats and resigns herself to watching the kid play off as secretary for the time being. Eventually a girl named Mamori is involved as well, fearing for Sena's safety for some reason or another. It's not like she knew he was the kid hiding underneath the eye shield after all. Youichi also comes to realize that Mamori has an extreme dislike for Aoi.

"What's with you, letting him do that all the time?" Mamori questions the girl as Youichi eavesdrops for the fun of it. He shoots at Sena and the kid named Monta that they recently recruited. The two quickly pick up the pace.

"I'm not his keeper." He can see the smirk on her face. "He is the captain; it's how he runs the team. I'm just managing."

"Manage his attitude!"

"No can do, Mamori-san. The stupid elf won't listen to me unless its a diabolical plot." He had to agree with her there. Eventually Mamori storms out, not taking notice of him, and he slips into the club room. Aoi raises an eyebrow as she types away on her own separate laptop and meets his sharp eyes.

"I'm a 'stupid elf', Fucking Neighbor?" He asks, pointing his weapon directly at her.

"Always have, always will be," She teases, closing the laptop. "Stu-pid. Elf."

"Don't make me have you run laps," He threatens, heading to the door as she follows.

"I would be doing them already if you wanted me to," She shoots back, yawning quietly. He rolls his eyes and she grins. She elbows him and dodges the barrage of bullets that come her way. He chuckles to himself, and if she hears it, she doesn't let on.

...

Time passes, and Hiruma realizes with a blink that they really are in America for training. He glances to his right, seeing Aoi typing away like he is as everyone else sleeps. She takes her information finding seriously, even if she already handed the managing job to Mamori. She now takes to information gathering like he does, just to lighten the work load.

"Why don't you sleep?" He asks in a low voice.

"I could ask you the same." She replies in a whisper, briefly meeting his eyes.

"Tch." He looks back at his laptop, and rolls his eyes when Aoi mocks him. He notices the grin she tries to hide and lets her scoot closer to him to the point where they are touching.

"Body heat," She explains, and he knows its a lie since she is wearing a dark hoodie, and especially when she closes her laptop and rests her head on his shoulder. "I'm taking your advice." Within in two minutes, she is asleep and he lets her keep her position. He does not admit that he likes having her in close proximity and continues his work.

...

At the end of the brutal training, Youichi keeps up his strong poker face until he can enter his room. He closes it and locks it with a click before tiredly dropping himself into the bed.

"Ow, stupid elf." Her muffled voice groans and she lifts her face from the pillow. He stares back at her flatly and both silently decide that it's too tiring to go find another room. She lays on her side, hardly taking up any blanket. He does the same, only taking up a lot more blanket, and neither say anything when they scoot closer. He notes her red ears and doesn't fall asleep until he knows that she already has.

He wakes up the next morning a little sore. He glances down, finding her back is pressed against his chest and their legs are tangled. His arm is thrown haphazardly over her waist and her free arm is lightly touching his hand. He blinks, wondering how they got into such a position in the first place. She breathes in slowly and he's kind of thankful she is still sleeping. He blankly stares out the window for a few moments before silently untangling himself from her sleeping form. He heads into the bathroom to splash his warm face and when he comes back out, she is stretching her legs. She meets his eyes before finding her leather jacket and replacing the dark hoodie she wore with it.

"Morning," She greets tiredly, and rubs sleep from her eyes. He, in the meantime, finds something cleaner to wear as she brushes out her long hair with her fingers. He goes to change just as she pulls her hair back into its low ponytail. He returns to find her in clean skinny jeans and in the middle of tying the laces of her black boots. She stands and as the two leave, he mumbles,

"Morning." She blinks before grinning and stealing his weapon from him. She jogs lightly down the hall with it and he rolls his eyes. He goes to reach for piece of gum, only to realize she has it too. He sighs audibly, ignores the look of surprise Mamori wears when she passes him, and starts to quickly walk after the girl, shouting profanities at her. She only laughs.

...

Hiruma is planning to face the Hakushu Dinosaurs at this time. He researches the players and glances up from his seat in the club room when Aoi comes back, drenched in sweat. She pants lightly and swipes his water before he can react; she drinks it and then sits on the chair at his side. She halfheartedly glares at him for having to run laps for no reason.

"Gao Rikiya?" She echoes a name as soon as she opens a website on her laptop. "...Ouch." He glances at her then reads the page she is currently looking at. Gao has taken out every quarter back so far to force the teams to be defeated and would likely in their game together soon.

"Keh," Hiruma scoffs. Aoi frowns.

"I don't mean to sound weak...but I'm a little worried."

"Shut up, Fucking Neighbor." Aoi sighs,

"I'm not even your neighbor anymore."

"...Fucking woman." She rolls her eyes. Silence ensues until she can come up with an idea.

"You know...my pass is amazing." Hiruma glances her way before taking out his Devil's handbook and looks through some pages. He has a few calls to make.

...

The Dinosaurs are harder to beat than they thought. Youichi knows it's happening and he can't do anything to stop it. The next thing he knows is pain, it's his right arm, and he can't speak. He loses consciousness.

"Mamori." Is all Aoi states, looking through a small black book. It was where she is keeping the players' notes. Mamori follows Hiruma and the men carting him off. Aoi closes the book with a snap, watching Kurita closely. "Listen here." She calls to the football players and they look at her, lost. She glances at Sena, the ideal quarterback for the time being, but he looks just as lost as everyone else. "This is what we're doing..."

Aoi stands on the football field, hiding under a helmet and wearing a Devilbats jersey. She can't recall the number but she stands in place of the quarterback regardless. Sena and the others look unsure and the Dinosaurs seem surprised.

"...Set, hut!" She yells and catches the snap with ease. She keeps a keen eye on the linemen and pulls her arm back. She snaps it forward quickly, almost too quick, and the ball passes by the players without their notice. Monta barely catches it and makes first down. "We will kill them!" She yells and she receives enthusiastic shouts back. She grins.

...

Youichi slowly makes his way back to the sidelines of the field. Mamori is hovering by his side nervously, but he ignores her in favor of going to the sidelines. He stops when he sees Aoi icing her right wrist on the bench. Sena and the others look worried. He glances at the scoreboard.

"_The Devilbats have gotten this far, but will it be the end? Number 12 Kouki Aoi, surprisingly allowed on the field, had taken over as quarter back for a short time with her amazingly fast long passes that hardly anyone could see, but Number 70 Gao Rikiya managed to pass the Devilbat's linemen and nearly take her out. She must have injured herself moving away because Eyeshield 21 came on as quarterback! This makeshift quarterback did well but..._" The announcer's voice booms over the stadium. It's then Hiruma makes himself known. His team is glad and he allows Mamori to place his helmet on his head. He shares a glance with Aoi and she takes his gun and props it against her shoulder nonchalantly. She gives a nod and allows her wrist to be wrapped by Mamori.

Hiruma isn't surprised Sena notices anyway and Aoi frowns at how quick that running back can be (and shortly snorts at her pun). When the game ends, Hiruma just watches as she walks up to him and inspects his bad arm.

"Idiot," She says with a grin. He looks at her pointedly and sighs inaudibly.

"I could say the same to you." He gazes at her wrist and she hides it.

"It's just a sprain. " It's a lie but neither say anything further and move off the field. Aoi laughs when Sena drops the MVP award.

...

The celebration party on the boat is bursting with excitement. Aoi, dressed in a suit rather than a dress, talks with the different parents for most of the time. Once the game starts, she spots Youichi escaping and decides to follow him quickly. The two meet on the sand and watch as the balloon grows larger and larger.

"Your arm?" She asks simply.

"It'll be fine," he watches as a shadow runs by, but doesn't distinguish a figure right away. He turns his attention back to her, "your wrist?"

"Doctor said it was a small tear in the ligament that'll heal in due time. Not early enough, however, to help you in the Christmas Bowl I'm afraid." She sounds a bit frustrated as she looks at her wrist in the brace.

"...you did fine in the last game." Hiruma gives her a light kick. She smiles softly and watches as Sena flies off the boat with the explosion.

"Well, the team is capable if I do say so myself." He says nothing in return and blows a bubble.

...

He can't help the fact he's already begun to believe in his teammates. Strategies and numbers are all part of his game but now they involved his faith in his team. He cant help that his team thinks he's lying about their chances of winning with so little time left against the Teikou Alexanders. He makes eye contact with Aoi, who looks up from her little black book (dubbed the apparent Spy Book by others) and grins at him. He rolls his eyes and turns to Sena when he mentions the distance to the goal post. Ideas form in his head.

The Devilbats win against the Alexander's. Youichi watches as Aoi runs up to him as other teams' players begin to toss Sena in the air.

"Yo," Aoi grins widely, "Youichi."

"Aoi." He answers in reflex to his first name. He swears, because he has never called her by her name before.

"Your dream came true."

"Yeah." He blows a bubble and grins. Solely on a whim, he bends down and kisses her on the lips. When he pulls back, she is bright red, even her ears, and trying to form a sentence. Eventually, she regains herself as others aren't looking, and kisses him back. He blankly stares at her, licks his lips, and drags her off without another word. That day marks something in the relationship they have that has no name.

...

Youichi isn't surprised when Aoi follows him to America for the world wide tournament. She helps with information gathering, and cracks up when she hears he dresses as a maid at one point. He kicks her. She laughs harder.

"Hey!" She calls to him as he goes to head onto the field. He turns back with a questioning glance. "Show The Big Red Dog how to handle the cards." She grins, gesturing towards Louis D. Clifford. He rolls his eyes, but grins all the same. He raises a hand as a goodbye and heads off to the field.

...

Youichi watches her from across the club room, and notes the way she glances up from time to time in his direction. Another month will be break and they will be third years next semester. The retirement party is soon, but retiring wont stop him from helping in some discreet way.

"What?" She asks, feeling his eyes on her.

"Nothing," He says blankly.

"Liar," She grins and teases, "Did you want a kiss?" He stares at her when she closes her laptop.

"And if I did?" He leans back in his chair, blowing a bubble idly.

"Ask and you shall receive," is all she says. She moves and is now standing in front of him. He waits, until he realizes what she really means. He rolls his eyes and smirks,

"Kiss me." She complies.

...

Their break is mostly uneventful aside from kisses and the second time they sleep in the same bed together when the pouring rain has Aoi refusing to walk all the way home.

"In the same class again?" She murmurs, reading the class board.

"So?" He pops the bubble he has blown. Aoi just shakes her head and shrugs. A week into the class a partner project is assigned to have the students get used to one another or something; the two of them aren't really paying attention. They end up together through a raffle drawing. The project asks them to make a presentation on any kind of topic. The two readily agree on gambling until someone tells them it's inappropriate for some reason or another. They change it to American Football in a heart beat. At the sense of déjà vu, they play poker to decide who presents most of it. This time around Aoi loses by two games and presents the project they create. They receive a B plus.

...

Near the end of their third year, the two are both accepted to Saikyoudai. They hang out in a fast food place after school and stay at whatever place Hiruma has blackmailed for the time being. It's a four star hotel that is giving them everything free.

"Hey," Aoi hangs over the side of the bed. Youichi is leaning against the bed while sitting on the floor as he types on his laptop. He glances over, where her face is close to his.

"What?"

"What would you call us?" Aoi asks curiously, "I figured it wasn't just friends considering some of the things we've done." He narrows his eyes and gives her a blank look. He swiftly leans over and kisses her. It's a long, slow kiss, and she turns red from it. He pulls back, and she can faintly see the pink on his cheeks. The color fades quickly though.

"I thought it was obvious." He says simply.

"Hmm, say it," She teases, and laughs when he reaches for his gun on the bed. She, however, has already moved it out of reach before she even asked the question. He shoots her a look.

"We're dating."

"So, what are people called when they date again?" She tilts her head with a not-so-innocent grin. He kisses her quickly and grunts,

"Lovers. You happy now?" She laughs and he pulls her off the bed. She lands unceremoniously in a heap on the floor but laughs harder anyway. He rolls his eyes; a ghost of a smile is present on his face. She genuinely smiles.

...

College is quick to begin. He is taking up business management while playing football and she is taking up psychology and education. Mamori is surprised to see them holding hands one day so nonchalantly that she has to rub her eyes to see if its true. Youichi rolls his eyes and Aoi snickers.

"I wonder how Kurita-san and Musashi-san are doing?" She muses. She is busy typing up a report for her psychology introduction class on her laptop as he lounges on her bed scribbling in his Devil's Handbook with his laptop open next to him. The two are located in his dorm room.

"They can take care of themselves."

"That's true." She agrees and silence resumes. He notices that she is so focused that she does not hear him when he gets up and stands behind her. He leans on her, causing her to lean into the desk. She watches as he saves the document and closes the laptop. "Can I help you?" She asks, amused.

"Entertain me," He says, bored. He already is doing a fraction of the work he needs to be doing for a class after blackmailing the professor, so he has no work to do at the time.

"I have a paper to finish." She responds but does not move to push him off or reopen the laptop. He puts more weight on her to crush her as he rests his chin on her head. He stares blankly out the window in front of them. Snow is beginning to fall. She sighs exasperatedly. "What would you like me to do?" It's a mocking question.

"Kiss me." He orders. She tilts her head back and does as ordered.

"Anything else?" She sees it coming when they kiss several more times and he somehow maneuvers her onto the bed so that she is laying down and he hovers over her. She flushes and her long hair is released from its tie. They kiss several more times and snakes a hand under her shirt. Her belly dips at the touch and she grabs his arms in response. He pulls back a moment, his own face warm, and she stares up at him with half-lidded eyes. He grins and she smiles a bit. The two continue.

...

He wakes up first and glances at the digital clock which reads seven-fifteen. He finds the two in the position they had been in from when they shared the bed in America years ago. She sleeps soundly, curled under the blankets. He realizes its cold and pulls the blanket up higher; he subconsciously pulls her closer for body heat. He closes his eyes, figuring they could get some more sleep- neither of them have class until the evening anyway.

She wakes up later, when the clock now reads eleven thirty-two in the morning. She carefully removes his arm from her waist and untangles her legs silently. She pulls his shirt on for coverage, which goes down to mid-thigh, and heads to the dresser for clothes; the bottom one has some clean ones that belong to her. She glances back, seeing him still sound asleep. She goes for a quick shower and comes back in his shirt and a clean pair of sweatpants. She thinks and remembers her class doesn't begin until eight, and his starts at seven. She sits at the desk and opens up her laptop, the document from the night before is still open. She resumes typing in the peaceful silence.

"Hey." He greets when he wakes up an hour later. She looks back and smiles,

"Morning." He raises an eyebrow.

"That's my shirt." He observes.

"It is," is all she responds with, though with a grin, and turns back to her report. He just hums.

...

Halfway into their second year, it's Christmas time. Neither are religious and definitely wouldn't ask a god for favors, but she likes the aura of the holiday season and gives presents to her family anyway.

"Hey," Aoi pokes him in the forehead and he swats at her hand. She is on the carpeted floor of her dorm room and he is laying on her bed on his stomach. He reads a book and she is typing away at her laptop until she wants his attention. She moves to poke his forehead again.

"What?" He asks, catching her hand.

"I wanted to ask you something," Aoi sticks out her tongue. "My sister and father are in San Antonio right now and I want to visit them for the holidays."

"This has to do with me?" He asks, glancing at her.

"I want you to come with me." She smiles when he looks surprised. "I know you don't have the greatest relationship with your father, so I thought you'd like to come with. Our break starts tomorrow and well...do you want to come?" She finishes lamely, flushing. He stares at her for a little while until he sighs.

"Sure." He says and she smiles largely.

...

San Antonio is hot and humid, thankfully not at this time. It's a decent cool temperature during this time of year and Aoi is pretty happy about it. The two of them are just finishing getting through security checks when her father shows up.

"Aoi!" He calls and she turns at the name. She spots his short dark hair and green eyes and grins.

"Pops!" She yells back and runs up to him with her duffel bag over her shoulder. Youichi is walking behind her and slowly catches up with the two of them.

"Hiruma Youichi, right?" Her father asks. He nods. "I'm Kouki Dai. It's nice to finally meet you after hearing about you." Youichi shakes his hand. "Thanks for taking care of Aoi. I know she is troublesome."

"Hey!" She shouts indignantly. Dai laughs.

"Lets head back. I got a surprise." Aoi shares a look with Hiruma and he shrugs.

...

Aoi heads in first to the two story house. She takes two steps in before being pummeled. Groaning, she sits up to see a mop of chin-length black hair.

"Torii?" She tests. The girl on top of her sits up and meets her gaze with clear blue eyes.

"Aoi?" The other asks before smiling. "I finally get to see you."

"See...me," Aoi murmurs before widening her eyes, "You can _see_ me!?"

"Yes! A few years ago the doctors found out I just had severe cataracts. So I got surgery to fix my eyesight. And here I am!" Aoi stares and tears form in her eyes.

"I'm glad." She whispers, hugging her sibling.

"You're blocking the door and its cold here at night." Youichi interrupts. She looks up at him and kicks the door shut in his face. She laughs because he swears. She doesn't see his smile.

...

Dinner is full of laughs. Aoi sits next to Hiruma as Torii sits next to Dai. Youichi is constantly smirking at the stories told; they are Aoi's embarrassing moments. Aoi kicks him under the table and he kicks her in return.

"So, how long have you been dating?" Dai asks casually. Aoi chokes on the water she's drinking and slips from her chair. Youichi looks undisturbed.

"High school." He answers considering she is too busy dying on the floor while her sister hits her back.

"Hmmm," Dai smiles. He doesn't ask anymore questions and continues his dinner. Youichi eventually helps Aoi back up into her seat and the meal continues in relative peace.

...

The couple decide to take a walk through San Antonio to pick up a thing or two. There are many shops with lights decorated for each of the holidays in this time as well as the trees. It looks amazing reflected in the waterways.

"It's nice here," Aoi comments while they walk over one of the bridges. He hums and she leans on the side of the bridge. She stares at the water. "Thanks for coming here."

"Hm," He hums again, standing next to her. He leans slightly towards her.

"I don't speak hums." She teases. He glances at her and blows a bubble.

"Your family is nice."

"...Did the Great Youichi just _compliment_ someone?" She grins and feigns shock. He kicks her in the back of the knee. She stumbles and he catches her in a headlock. She laughs and struggles. He grins and even chuckles.

"I give. I give!" She flails until he lets go. She breathes a sigh.

"I love you." She whips her head around, staring at him, eyes wide. He stares out over the bridge, a light pink color just barely visible on his cheeks. She turns red and smiles. She turns back and stares at the sky.

"I love you too." She murmurs.

...

The two are heading back after going to the store. They each carry a plastic bag.

"Youichi Hiruma." The two turn to see Clifford.

"Ah, the Big Red Dog," Aoi murmurs. Youichi elbows her.

"Clifford," He greets indifferently.

"What are you doing here?" Clifford asks in fluent Japanese.

"Visiting family," Hiruma answers, not missing a beat. Aoi turns a light red.

"I've been meaning to contact you," Clifford says, "The San Antonio Armadillos want you and asked me to get in touch with you for them." Hiruma raises an eyebrow,

"Is that so?" Clifford hands him a card with some contact information.

"As it is, your skills are wanted. The window won't be open forever though. You have a week." Clifford walks off. Aoi blinks and stares at Hiruma's contemplating face.

"Lets go," He says and begins to head down the sidewalk. She frowns but follows him quickly.

...

Two days pass by quickly and it's suddenly Christmas morning. He has left the card on the night stand next to the double bed they are sharing in the guest room. He follows her down the stairs to the living room. The fake tree has the colorful lights illuminating the room besides the light coming through the two windows. Torii is yawning into her hand on the leather three cushion couch and Dai is drinking coffee on the other end. He goes and sits on the matching love seat and she goes off to sort presents. Her sister follows. Within a few minutes, Aoi is sitting next to Hiruma with a small pile between the two of them; some were joint and some were single. They're wrapped in red and white gift wrap. Aoi can see which ones are from her to her family with the gift wrap being a dark blue with snowflakes. She forces Hiruma to start opening them as Torii begins to open hers. Dai just sits back and observes.

"Oi," Youichi shoves a gift in her face. Aoi blinks and takes it from him. It's a joint one and she opens it by tearing off the sides.

"This is..." She murmurs and pulls out a certain object. In an instant, she turns dark red and stands up. "Dad, this is not even funny! Now I know why you didn't ask the sex question!" She yells and runs out the room just as her ears turn just as dark. Hiruma glances at the box and just grins with a chuckle. When she doesn't return in ten minutes, Youichi has to go fetch her and bring her back.

...

It's two hours later and the two are sitting in the guest room. Aoi is glad to know Torii loves the necklace and her father loves the sweater she gave them. She is now lounging around on the bed and he is reading a book.

"Want to use your dad's gift?" He asks suddenly.

"What- no! It's not funny!" Aoi flushes and closes her eyes. "And not here."

"So anything but sex here?" He interprets.

"No you Devil! You're such a pervert." She tries not to smile regardless, finding him amusing. He raises an eyebrow at her and smirks. He leans down and kisses her and she cracks open an eye.

"Do you want your gift?" He asks. She blinks and sits up.

"Gift?" She just watches as he reaches over into his bag and she goes into hers as well. They both come back with wrapped gifts in their hands. They both grin and exchange boxes. She opens hers to find a single silver bracelet with a football charm and a devil charm. She flushes to her ears and puts it on with a smile. He opens his to find a football signed by each of his old teammates from Deimon and a necklace with dog tags; they read '_devil_' on one and '_return to Kouki Aoi if lost_' on the other. He places them on with her help.

"Thanks," He says with a smirk and a kiss.

"Thanks too," She smiles and returns the gesture. He holds up the football. "I thought it'd be nice to have." He tosses it, reading each name. It gets put back in the box and he reaches over; she is pulled close.

"What?" She asks; she's confused by the sudden affection. He just smirks.

...

Christmas leaves as quickly as it arrived. The two are there for another day, but the deadline to accept the offer is quickly coming closer. Hiruma stares at the card on the bed. She comes in to the room, raising a brow at him.

"Are you gonna accept?" He doesn't answer, just looks at her. She warily heads over to the bed and sits next to him. She frowns. "Do you want to accept?"

"Do you want me to?" He asks, frowning slightly. She frowns further in return.

"I want you to do what makes you happy. My opinion shouldn't matter."

"It does." He says. "If I drop out of the college for this, I'll be leaving a lot behind." _Including you_, is left unsaid.

"...I could say that I don't want you to go because its true. But I could also say that I want you to take an opportunity like this because you should. However," She smiles a bit, "you are Hiruma Youichi. I'm sure you could work out some kind of deal to accomplish both." He rolls his eyes and smirks.

"You'll be helping."

"Of course. I'm a spy." She grins, "and I'll follow the Devil wherever he goes." He leans over and they kiss.

...

Fortunately, the San Antonio Armadillos are understanding and are going to have Youichi finish college first. He sits through the rest of his second year. His team makes it to the Rice Bowl, where he meets Sena's team. Aoi sits on the bench with Mamori. The two vary between signals and eventually Hiruma has her do a dragonfly with him.

"Sena-san," Aoi smiles next to Hiruma. "I hope when you said that you wanted to beat the Devil, you were prepared to face his keeper."

"You're not my keeper," He kicks her, but grins. Sena looks anxious and worried, but also determined.

"I am prepared," Sena says and Kurita next to him smiles.

Aoi's long pass gains their team the lead but Sena's run makes the game go to into overtime. Youichi ends up close, but no cigar. Sena's team wins. Youichi kicks the running back and walks away, blowing a bubble. Aoi follows with a smile. She knows he approves of the kid's growth.

...

Third year is currently half way through. He'll be graduating this year. He sits under a gazebo in the rain, staring at Cerberus, the damned wild dog, as the thing sits under a bench snoozing. The devil sighs and leans back. It's been two days, four hours, six minutes, and forty-seven seconds since the fight; not that he is counting or anything. It is something stupid, he knows it is mostly his fault, and he can't get her tear-stained face to leave his thoughts. It began mostly due to the fact the time for him to leave America was quickly arriving and she was becoming different. She, despite deciding to go with him, only wanted to focus on finishing college at the moment. He went on to confront her and it somehow turned into an argument due to his off-handed comments.

So now here he sits. He leans forward, planning to walk it off, when he hears a jingle. Youichi glances down at the dog tags around his neck. '_Devil_.' '_Return to Kouki Aoi if lost_.' He smirks a little, and fishes his cellphone from his pocket. He dials a number from memory and places the phone at his ear.

"Hello?" A voice comes through. It's not like her to not check the caller ID before answering the phone.

"Is this Kouki Aoi?" He waits for her to pause her breathing before continuing (he doesn't want to her hang up after all), "I have found a lost Devil in the children's playground just around Saikyoudai. He looks quite distressed and his tags say to call you." The phone clicks and the dial tone replies to him. He stares at the gazebo's wooden ceiling in defeat, and leans back in his seat. He sits for a little longer.

"I heard there was a lost Devil here that belongs to me," He looks down and Aoi is standing there, under a blue umbrella. She tries to look calm, but he can see she is trying to catch her breath; she ran here.

"Yeah." Youichi frowns and she softens her look. She joins him under the gazebo and sits next to him, closing the umbrella.

"I'm sorry," She says, "I'm being stupid."

"Idiot," He pushes his shoulder into hers, and stays in the leaning position. "You have no reason to be sorry...I'm sorry."

"Idiot. Can we forget this happened?"

"Yea." Aoi smiles, relieved, and wipes away the forming tears. She stands at the same time as him and she opens the umbrella. He grabs it and the two walk hand-in-hand back to the college.

* * *

_Play..._

"_The San Antonio Armadillos once again dominate the opponent from beginning to end!_" The announcer booms over the roaring crowd. Panther cheers with his teammates and notices a moment later that Hiruma does not join. He would find this usual, but this time the blonde moves quicker than usual. Panther watches as he walks up to the cement wall of the bleachers. He meets eyes with a blue-eyed girl. Panther recognizes her from years ago, but does not remember a name. He calls her Blue for the sake of his memory. Youichi reaches up to Blue, and she grins widely. She climbs over the railing with ease and jumps into his spread arms. Panther watches in surprise as the two embrace in a kiss. He never thought he'd see the day the Devil is tamed by love.

...

"Panther-san is staring," Aoi murmurs to the other.

"Tch," Hiruma snorts and glances over. "So?"

"Just saying. Shall we go home?"

"I have a post-interview conference." Youichi states.

"You never let those stop you before."

"I know," He grins and they kiss again. The dog tags hidden under his uniform clang together.

...

Hiruma Youichi is, by no means, a good man. He is cunning and silent, easily controlling others in the shadows. In elementary school, he scared the other kids to a point where he had to be separated from them for periods of time. In middle school, he dyed his hair, pierced his ears, and met his future teammates. In high school, he started a football team, used deceit and blackmail to get where he wanted, made the best running back in Japan, and won the Christmas Bowl. In college, he manipulated teachers and was offered to be in a football team. Most importantly, he met that troublesome girl in middle school, reunited with her in high school, dated her and loved her throughout his time through high school and college.

Despite all this, Kouki Aoi would not have her Devil any other way.

* * *

_Fin._


End file.
